Empty Soul
by DBZer16
Summary: Vegeta and Tarble were tormented, beaten, and experimented on after their parents were murdered by Dr. Gero. The saiyan princes must recover from their trauma and regain their pride, however it's a treacherous road. But, with the help of the other saiyans that were able to evacuate Vegeta-sei and the Briefs, there is a slight glimmer of hope. Dark. Suggestive themes.
1. Empty Soul

Disclaimer: Don't bother.

Empty Soul

Running

The sky was becoming darker by the second. The cold chilled him to the bone. If he was lucky, the pod wouldn't be frozen over, unable to work and get him off the hell that had become his planet. Their sun had died, cutting off their ultimate energy source, leaving them to freeze to death, and die.

At the age of only thirty cycles, having just recently ascended to the throne five years ago, King Vegeta glanced at his guard, Bardock, as he tried to contact any others that may have been left via his abnormally strong mental abilities. It was only them, they were the last saiyans. Bardock, his third class mate, and cub Raditz were his only company for the moment, at least until Fasha and Tora finished scouting the capital city for any others.

They landed, shaking their heads. There was no one else. Nodding solemnly, King Vegeta issued the silent command to get into their space pods. They had managed to intercept radio frequencies from some hidden world, trying to make contact with aliens. It had been laughable, but after tracing them back to their source, the messages' origin was a habitable planet that the saiyans could evacuate to. Unfortunately, they had been too late. Everyone else was gone.

It was quiet. As they left, before the King could enter stasis, he looked out at the deadly crimson gem that was his planet. His tail tightened around his waist and he shut his eyes.

He had to know if she got off.

When it became apparent that their planet was dying, some of the saiyans, mostly conceited elites, had stormed the palace, demanding the only functioning pod available. In a blind moment of panic, he had ushered the Queen away, as she was pregnant with his first son, and sent her to the pod so she could escape.

Hours later, much saiyan blood had been shed, many had died, and there were ashes of what had once been a body near the hangar, and he had no way of knowing whose it was, as the lone pod was gone.

A civil war broke out, mostly triggered by panic and fear; they had turned on one another. They had slaughtered their own kind for weeks. He had been helpless to stop it.

He had been forced to lock his people out, as their panic was only making things worse. He had consulted his most trusted guard, Bardock, chosen for his amazing psychic abilities, strategy, and scientific mind. Their last chance, Bardock had locked himself away, pouring over the pod's blue prints and trying to replicate as many as he could. As hard as he tried, he only completed seven in the time before everyone had either been killed, starved, or they'd gone insane and committed suicide.

There was one for the king, Raditz, Fasha, Tora, Nappa, his mate, and himself. It didn't matter though, they were all that remained, having holed themselves up in the palace, preserving what little heat and food there was until their escape was complete.

Nappa had, to say the least, freaked-out, and left before they could set the coordinates. He was probably dead or stranded in space. Not that the coward mattered at that point.

Vegeta sighed at he entered the command for stasis, his only solace being that he did not feel totally empty yet. Perhaps his queen had survived.

…11 Years later…

Tarble clutched his chest as he huddled himself against the wall. It was dark and damp and all he could think of was his brother. He knew they were in a bad place. Good places didn't make you want to die. Good places didn't make you feel pain until you fell unconscious. Good places didn't hurt your only family.

He didn't know where they were, or why. He didn't know why his parents had to die like they did, or why his brother had to suffer so much more than him. He didn't know what sunlight was, or if it was just another fantasy from long ago. He didn't know what happiness was, or if it was actually a real thing. Scared and sad all the time, he wanted to get away.

He didn't want to laugh like the others did. They were hollow. Broken. They laughed when they were taken to the _room _and when they were roughly shoved back inside, bleeding, and practically begging for more of it. He'd only seen the _room_ once, and he never wanted to go back. Bad things happened in there, and he didn't want to face them.

Maybe that was why they admired Vegeta so much, he never laughed. He never broke. He was stronger than any of them, but Tarble knew he had come close before. He shivered. He hated thinking about all the times he had gone near the edge. He'd almost lost him.

They had taken him again. When they came to retrieve him, Tarble fought. He clung to his brother despite protests, warnings, threats, and shouts. They had beaten him until he felt a rib crack and dragged his furious sibling away.

The door swung open and crashed violently against the wall. The man tossed his Vegeta inside with disgust, spitting at the floor to show his contempt. He didn't really have a name. Everyone just called him Nineteen. Tarble hated him too. He hated all of them.

When the door shut, Tarble gathered himself and knelt by Vegeta. His spiky black hair was dampened with sweat and blood, and his messy bangs clung to his forehead. He snickered as Tarble helped him sit up, spitting a glob of bloody phlegm.

"Those idiots…I found it, Tarble. I know how we can get away, we just have to wait," he wheezed.

This was what he said every time they dragged him back now. He'd say the same thing when he was returned from the _room._ Anyone else might have thought he was crazy, but not Tarble.

"I know. I can't wait. I want to see outside, brother. The new ones always talk about it when they first come. It sounds good." He pulled Vegeta back to the small cot that they shared, and hauled him onto it, careful not to put him in any more pain. "Have you heard about all the foods they talk about? There are so many, and I bet they taste tons better than what they give us here." He knew Vegeta had blacked out, but he knew he liked being talked to about those types of things.

They gave a small semblance of motivation to keep going.

He curled up next to the older boy, and their tails thumped softly against the scratchy bed-like thing. Tarble hugged Vegeta, afraid that if he let go they would take him away.

The next day (as if they knew when the next one came; they molded together after a while), both were harshly awakened by slaps to their faces. Vegeta snarled as his tail bristled and he pushed his younger brother behind him. It was Nineteen again, the obese man that resembled a porcelain doll.

"Come on, monkeys, today is a special day for you two." Of course it was, Vegeta knew that, but he couldn't let him know that he did. He bared his teeth and growled. Nineteen sighed as he pulled a remote out, and pressed a small blue button, and turned a dial. Vegeta clutched his head as painful vibrations made him stagger. The collar around his neck buzzed until Nineteen stopped it.

He pulled out two chains, clipping them to the pair while they were preoccupied like leashes. Vegeta hated it. They weren't dogs or slaves, and as soon as they took their eyes off him they were going to be gone. He'd get stronger and come back later to kill all of the bastards that dared to mock him. He would make all of them suffer one day.

He swore it on his father's grave.

…

Another boom. Another smack as fists went flying. Another thud as a small body collided with the ground. He growled as Raditz taunted him from across the field. Kakarot had yet to best his brother in a spar once, but he got closer every time. He dusted himself off and launched himself at the teenager again.

Bardock observed them silently, not acknowledging his friend as Tora came up beside him with the old man. "Geez, do they ever stop? I swear they want to kill each other."

"Of course they do, Tora. They're siblings. Whether on this rock or Vegeta-sei, brother and sisters will always compete." Bardock's gaze never left his sons as they punched and kicked. Raditz pinned him and began to call him names as the younger boy squirmed to break free. Ever since Kakarot had fallen off that cliff, he'd been different. He acted saiyan enough, but he was more…at ease. Gentler than what he was accustomed to. It was rubbing off on both Raditz and himself, though he couldn't say it bothered him.

"Saiyans…your fighting abilities are remarkable, and at such a young age too," Gohan commented. He had stumbled upon them whilst walking one morning, and seeing how they had nowhere to live; he offered to share his home with them, in the mountains. After teaching them the local language, they said that their king had relieved them from active duty, and so they were simply waiting until orders from him arrived, if they ever did. He knew their story, and promised to help in whatever way he could. That was just giving them some stability for the time being. Besides, he rather liked their company for a hermit.

As Kakarot finally broke free, they went at it again until the younger boy passed out. Raditz tossed him over his shoulder and approached the adults, slightly winded from the excursion, his bare chest sweaty. "Where are Fasha and Okran?"

Tora chuckled, "She's drilling some kata into his head. I almost feel bad for the kid." When they had arrived on earth, it had been discovered that Fasha was pregnant with Tora's son after they separated from the king. Their leader had left to find the queen after figuring out she was on the planet. They had yet to hear from him in nine years. Their only message had been that their first prince was born.

When they reached the house, they saw Fasha watching her son as he ran through the kata she showed him, the toddler wobbling ever so slightly as he adjusted to the movements. He looked almost identical to his father, but with his mother's more lean form. She scolded him every time he pulled his tail out for balance.

"Until you strengthen your tail it is a weakness! Do not leave it open." The tot fell down after another ten minutes, having been going for two hours. She sighed.

"Give the kid a break, Fasha. Kami knows he's earned it." Tora laughed.

From his brother's grasp, Kakarot groaned. "I'm hungry… I think I'm dying." Their planet was gone. Their people were dead. But Bardock almost smiled at the life he had formed on the small planet. If only that nagging sense that something was horribly wrong would be quiet.

He knew his instincts never lied, but what could go wrong when they were surrounded by nothing but weak humans? Maybe the same thing that happened to his mate. An epidemic swept though, weakening her enough that Kakarot's birth a few days later killed her. The virus had attacked her heart, and it never got better. Those were the worst times of his life, but he didn't dwell on it.

He had what he did, and he was going to make it work. He was just glad that their people met the fate that they did before Frieza could get to them.

…

He sneered as his sore back collided with the metal bars of the cage. They didn't need anything more than that with the absorption collar that had been on him as long as he could remember. He glanced at his brother, who was doing his best to look unafraid, with his scowl and apathetic aura, Vegeta could say he looked a lot like him from what he could remember. He didn't actually know what he looked like. It had been a long time since he'd seen a mirror, but he remembered that if he got rid of his bangs, he'd be a carbon copy of his father.

Then _he _stepped out of the shadows, making Vegeta's tail bristle and a low growl resonate from his chest.

_He_ was known as Gero. Dr. Gero, the head of the cabal and all of its sub-sections. He was a disgusting piece of shit vermin. He loved to experiment with Vegeta whenever he made personal visits to this particular underground base. He never wanted to see another scalpel again. Of course, despite the fact that he was, well, messed with more often than his younger brother, most likely because of his minimal strength and limited endurance, he believed that Tarble was in a worse, more fragile mental state.

Vegeta could fight it every step of the way. He could scratch and claw and beat his way through it even though he knew he wasn't going to win. Him though, he could do nothing. He just sat there hoping that Vegeta would return to him alive and that he wouldn't be hurting. He knew that he felt like everything was his fault. That he was somehow supposed to protect his elder brother, though it was impossible.

The bearded old fart leered at him through the bars, grinning at the sight of him. He had to say, he favored the boy. He was exotic, strongly willed, and alien. He was an infatuation of his. It was worth rationing a month's worth of food to have him.

Then there was the smaller one. If the eldest boy was an infatuation, this was a downright obsession. He loved to see the effects of isolation on him. Vegeta was the one he used for his more, interactive experiments as he was more physically adept. Tarble, however, was not as durable, and he was more of an open book. Seeing how the treatment of his sibling and seclusion rubbed him in comparison to the human children was thrilling. He was a psychological toy, and after today, he was going to take it up a few notches.

The members of the group clustered into the room before taking their seats. One by one, children were tied down onto the platform, and auctioned off. This happened annually. But this year, Gero had planned it so that his wonderful lab rats would go to him. He ignored all others as he waited for them to be brought up.

Tarble stared after Vegeta as he was drugged and hauled off. He bit his lip. Every year, they feared that they would be separated. This time was no different. But, he reminded himself, Vegeta had something worked out. Tarble simply had to wait.

Lights blurred together as his legs rubbed against the rough wooden floor. He focused his sense of smell and hearing, identifying who was where and where was what. His tail wrapped tightly against his waist and he waited.

The doctor almost jumped when he saw the coal black flame of hair appear. He waited for all other bids to go. "150,000 zeni!" The crowd stared in awe. None of them could top that. The caller nodded and wrote Gero's name on a slip of paper before gesturing for the next one.

The same process occurred, Tarble going to Gero at 120,500 zeni, and the two were locked in the same cage. Tarble was wary not to huddle next to Vegeta; for fear that they would be used against each other. He watched as his brother closed his eyes and extended his senses as he waited for the drug to wear off.

An hour or so later, Gero came in with two other children, new ones, as their clothes were not in tatters yet. Their frantic pupils darted about as they tried to find a way out. Fresh meat.

…

Bulma sighed as she tapped her pen against the desk. Her brain was fried. She had no ideas for a new invention whatsoever and she was bored. She was bored, lonely, and felt…empty. Like there was some better way she could be spending her time. Sighing, she brushed it aside and went downstairs to see if her mother wanted to do something with her. It didn't really matter if she wanted to or not, she would any way.

"Hey, Mom." She reached to grab a freshly baked cookie before being absently swatted away by her mother.

"Hello, dear. Would you like to help me finish icing the cake? I was going to give it to that nice old woman across the street. Oh, what was her name again?"

"Mrs. Charlotte, Mom. And sure, I was bored anyways. Hey, do you think I could do homeschooling?"

"Why would you want to do that? You have so many nice friends at your school. Why would you want to leave?" She bent over and pulled the cake from the oven, setting it on the cooling rack.

"Come on, they're all at least two years older than I am, they're all too stupid to hold conversation, I refuse to dumb myself down for them, and they all hate me because I'm smarter and the heiress to a major corporation." She counted off fingers as her list went on, rolling her eyes when he mother shrugged it off.

"Now, now, while you may be smarter when it comes to academics, there are other types of intelligences. If you want to take over the family business one day, you do need to know how to get along with people, as much as you may not like it." That had been her mother's most convincing argument by far.

"I still hate it…" She pouted as she grabbed the tube of icing and went to work.

At the C.C. headquarters, Dr. Briefs frowned at the report in his hand. One of his top scientists…there was something off about him, and he knew he was an excellent judge of character. The proposal was completely unethical and quite frankly, disgusting. He'd never been too invested in biology or bio-mechanics, but he knew the basics. This was wrong. Turning people into androids; he wanted to do it with children no less, under the assumption that they would adapt better. Quickly, he stamped "_Rejected" _over the heading, and put it on his secretary's pile.

Gero. If it weren't for the man's genius he would have fired him years ago and had him put in a mental ward for all of the sick things that he suggested. Unfortunately, if he wanted to, he could damage his company by a substantial margin with just his absence. Sure, Dr. Briefs was more mechanically inclined than him and could spot the flaws in any designs presented, but there were hundreds of on-going projects and he just didn't have time between business, his own inventing, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

He rubbed his temples as he let his cigarette hang from the corner of his mouth unlit. Maybe he should just keep an eye on him. He knew it wouldn't be long before Gero got fed up with his rejections and went ahead with his experiments. Perhaps he could hire an intern or assistant to keep watch over him… That sounded good, and then he could offer some happy-go-lucky kid a position in the corporation later if they needed it. The second he stepped out of line he would be out of a job for the rest of his life, and seeing how he spent his salary on tools and other things, that wouldn't be good.

He couldn't help but think he should do more though. But what could he do? There was no crime to accuse him of. He hadn't actually broken the law as far as he knew. His hands were tied. At the same time though, he felt as though he should go by the old saying of "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Either way he was in a bit of a catch 22.

For now, however, he needed to find suitable youngster.

…

Gohan frowned thoughtfully. His cabinets were bare and the nearest town was over an hour away. He didn't mind making the trips for cooking ware, spices, and other things he couldn't find out in the mountains, but he hadn't any money to speak of. It was going to become quite the predicament, feeding his saiyan guests…

"What's with the face?" Raditz asked as he came in. While Kakarot thought of this man as an elder, even grandfather to be respected and cherished, he wasn't so sure. There was no malice or dislike between them; they simply didn't know how to interact, so they stuck with casual and a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, don't worry about it. We just might have to cut back on food until I find a way to earn some money." Momentary horror flashed in the teen's eyes before he gathered himself. The thought of less food was unbearable.

"We can just hunt and fish. Geez, don't burn a fuse," he sneered as he crossed his arms.

"Raditz, we can't live off of just meat. We need a solution to this problem."

Bardock paused as we passed the open window, catching the tail-end of the discussion. He frowned. They had been imposing on the old man…he felt guilty about it. Perhaps…

Eh, so long as it wasn't him.

He went around to the front of the small hut, and leaned inside. What the old man said was true, especially if his friends planned on having more cubs. "Raditz, you will find yourself a…job." The word was unfamiliar, but the message was clear. "Gohan is correct, and since you seem to have the most amount of time _not_ training, I believe you may as well do something useful."

He resisted the urge to smirk as his cub openly gaped at him. True, it was bizarre and a tad humiliating. A saiyan getting a _human _occupation and fretting about currency? He didn't blame him. "What? You cannot be serious! How-I refuse to lower myself to do humans' work!"

"Raditz, honestly, it would serve you well to be taken a notch or two down. You're becoming cocky in your spars with Kakarot. That will be your downfall. It shouldn't be hard for you; you're not a complete idiot… Although, I do think you may need to cut your hair to look, how these people say...professional"

His eyes widened and he took a defensive step back, grabbing his precious locks by his youthful bangs. "Absolutely not! There is no way in hell you are cutting my hair!"

Bardock chuckled lightly. "Of course not, son. That would be far too much. Still, you will find this human 'work' in the morning." With that he left, leaving his eldest to fume.

Gohan rested a hand upon his shoulder, smirking. "Work brings one humility and-"

"Shut it, you geezer!" Raditz stormed out to find Tora. He needed to pound something.

Something big, strong, and made of flesh and bone.

_A/N: I think that this intro kicks ass in comparison to Rise and Fall. I know a lot of you guys liked that one, but I didn't really. _

_Warning: Super-long A/N._

_Okay, Okran is an OC I don't care about and will __**hardly be mentioned at all**__. He will have a few __**minor **__roles. I am not going to focus on him at all so don't worry about a Mary Sue. Yes, his name is a play on okra. _

_Oh and, this is a list of their ages, just to bring you guys up to speed._

_Vegeta: 11_

_Tarble: 7_

_Bulma: 9_

_Goku: 5_

_Raditz: 16_

_Okran: I don't know. Like, 3? Do you really care that much? I don't. I don't because he is insignificant. Does not matter. At. All. __**No Mary-sue!**__ I swear!_


	2. Regrets

Regrets

He shifted uncomfortably, his tail tightening its hold on his waist. His entire situation was ridiculous, absurd, unnecessary, and humiliating. His tie rubbed irritatingly, the suit constricted his movement, his hair was being annoyingly pulled by the incredibly flexible band at the base of his neck, and the dress shirt felt too tight against his muscled chest. Yet, here he was, waiting to be interviewed for a job at some famous company. Raditz groaned.

For Kami's sake, what did he do to deserve this…belittlement?

There were several other people waiting in the crowded lobby, all of them stank with either nervousness or arrogance. All were older than him, dressed similarly, though they seemed to hold themselves straighter, to maintain an air of professionalism, in comparison to his crossed arms and scowl. He did not want to be there, but with the threat of starvation hanging over his head, he had little say in the matter. At least here he might learn something useful.

A woman in heels with her hair up in a tight bun entered, followed by a disappointed looking man. He left while she examined her clipboard.

"Mr. Son?" It took a moment for him to register the unfamiliar last name as his before he stood, stretched, and followed her into the tiny room. Inside, there was an older looking man with a bushy mustache and overly-large glasses. He wore a lab coat, and carried the scent of tobacco and serene command. An odd combination, but one he didn't find too displeasing.

The old man extended his arm in another unfamiliar gesture, and hesitantly pulled it back when Raditz stared at it with confusion. "Hello, I'm Dr. Briefs, the founder of Capsule Corporation. It's Raditz, right?" The teen nodded as he took his seat across from him. "What a peculiar name. Are you from another country?"

The saiyan snorted. "You could say that."

His eyes quirked at the young man's accent. "Well, let's move on, shall we? Why do you want this job?"

"I don't. There are some…issues with money right now, and my father forced me to find work. I figured if I had to do something so degrading to my stature, I should at least pick something I might learn something from."

The doctor nodded hesitantly and continued with the interview, taking note of everything about the strange teenager. From his gruff voiced, laced with an indescribable accent to his apathetic and arrogant persona, he found himself interested in the young man. He was strong, intelligent, (though he had no background in schooling to speak of) and all around good for the job he had in mind.

Just before Raditz could go on to answer yet another useless question, Dr. Briefs stood and pushed his chair in. At the boy's confused expression, he smiled. "I'm afraid that's all I need to know. You've got the job. You'll start at 8:00 in the morning tomorrow." That said he left his secretary to get rid of the rest of the people to be interviewed.

Raditz frowned. He hadn't expected things to go over so smoothly. Deciding not to look his 'gift horse' in the mouth, he shrugged and left to fly back. The suit was killing him. He couldn't bear the thought of having to wear it every day. 'No, screw it. I will wear whatever the hell I feel like.'

He needed to hit his father. Maybe that would make him feel better.

…

"Vegeta, how long will we be here?"

"Be patient. I'm still working out the details."

"I'm hungry."

"You've been hungry before. Get over it."

"I hate this place."

"So do I. Shut up."

"I'm cold."

"So do something about it."

They had been going on like this for about an hour or so, bored out of their minds, bantering was their only entertainment. Of course, their insults and complaints lost their edge after the first few minutes. Now it seemed as though they were just trying to keep a candle from melting. Huddled against each other to preserve body heat, both scowled. Everything was fucked up.

Tarble shivered slightly as another cold draft wafted through. Neither of them had been fed enough. Only given the same measly amount of shit that the others were, they were skinny and pale. Malnourished, cold, and ki collars draining life out of them, one would think they were dead at first glance. Maybe second or third glance as well.

They had remained at the same place, not being transported to another this year around. However, something was putting Vegeta very much on edge, paranoia branching and growing with every drip from the leaking ceiling.

They hadn't done anything to them yet. Usually, there was a celebratory torture session after the auctions, but this time they were lacking existence. He couldn't convince himself to relax for the small breather that he had, his body tense. He knew it was taking energy to remain like that, cutting off warming circulation, but he couldn't shake the feeling that if he so much as sighed they would be upon him again.

Tarble had taken notice of how jumpy his brother was, and he understood why. That was why he claimed to be freezing, to have an excuse to keep him warm as well, and coax him to ease up a bit. While he knew if he mentioned anything akin to weakness to Vegeta, he would purposely move away to prove he didn't need anything. He was willing to sacrifice his pride if it meant that whatever upcoming sick plans they had would be more bearable for him.

They could never trust anything.

The boy didn't know much of anything about his parents. Only Vegeta did, and even that was limited because of the collar. He knew they weren't like the others. They didn't have tails, couldn't see, hear, or smell as they could. But he didn't know why. He knew Vegeta must have once, but it had been blocked, like his strength. "What were they like?"

"How should I know?"

"You can't have forgotten everything. You're too smart for that." Stroking his ego might help.

"Hn…" He sighed in resignation. "Father was strong. He took pride in what we are. Mother was…gentle. Both of them expected great things from us. They seemed unfamiliar somehow. Like everything was new to them." He stopped talking. He did remember them. He sometimes wished he didn't. Then the life he lived now wouldn't seem so awful in comparison. He missed them more than he would ever admit, because if he did he would acknowledge that it was painful, and he had enough pain.

Nothing could compare to the day that they died. They were so strong, but there was something artificial on the planet that was stronger. He couldn't remember the event perfectly, and for that he was grateful. The only useful thing about the damn collar. He did know that it was somehow his fault. It had to be his fault. There were a few memories that stood out, but he had a difficult time catching the distinction between that and reality, and so they blended more often than not.

…

_A field with rustling grasses. The sun momentarily blinded him as he looked up at the man he admired, his spiky hair shifting slightly in the wind. Leaves from the woods nearby were shaken, and blown in their direction, surrounding them._

_He spoke, but Vegeta could never make out the most important words. "As you know, Vegeta, you are the…of…, as I am the… before you." The words buzzed like static, and the scene became unstable for a moment. "One day, you will surpass me in strength, applying what I have taught you, and adding the things that you have learned on your own. That will happen very soon. When it does, you will be able to realize the legend of our people, the s… s…n. There are many things about our culture that you must learn, but you must also be adaptable to any environment, as flexibility is one of a …'s many duties."_

_A woman emerged from the trees with a face he couldn't grasp and a laugh that never left him. She was followed by his younger brother, who was practically running to keep up with her regal stride. She knelt and pulled Vegeta into a swift but tight embrace. There was one thing on his mind, and it wasn't anything. He simply felt…good._

_Time seemed to skip forward as he found himself sparring against his father while Tarble was being taught basic equations and language. The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful mix of oranges, pinks, reds, and blues._

_More static. Suddenly it was night, and he was curled against his pack under the soft canopy of trees above them. He had woken to the normal majestic sounds of the nocturnal creatures. However, that was not what had disturbed him. There was an unfamiliar scent; however, he did not wish to appear weak in front of his father by nudging him awake with his foot like a frightened h… child. He rubbed against his mother's tail and eventually drifted off again._

_Then there were shouts. Voices, color, feeling, and all sense of time swirled under the sun. He faintly recognized that he had been scared at the time, doing his best to fight it or them, whatever it was, off._

_Unfortunately, the next memory was burned deeply, engraved in his youthful heart. There was a flash of light from the attacker, and then there was blood. It splattered on his face and his eyes went wide as the stench of death invaded him. There was a silent scream. She fell._

_His father flew into blind rage. He fought until he too, met a bloody end. First it was his arm, and then a hole through his stomach, a fist ripping out his entrails, finishing him. He said one thing as he fell closer. "Go…"_

_Vegeta looked to Tarble, sprawled over their mother. There were men coming, headed straight for them. He sprinted to grab him, and took to the air. He glanced back, wishing he hadn't as they swarmed around the bodies. There was more static, his vision momentarily fading out, blocking what would have killed him. He turned around before it could return._

_Tarble was crying at that point, hyperventilating and sobbing. Vegeta tried to hush him, but it did no good. After what felt like hours, he landed somewhere to rest. He fell to his knees and heaved his stomach's contents until there was nothing left, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he blinked them away furiously. S… p…s did not cry._

_Tarble staggered over to him and fell, caught by Vegeta's small hands. He trembled and sniffled while the other boy rubbed his back awkwardly. Soon, he pulled the younger p… up and they looked ahead._

_They started walking, where he didn't know. He didn't think he'd had any particular destination in mind. They came to a river. That was when the thing found them. Vegeta had thought that they were going to be killed. No, they were horrendously beaten by an almost steel fist. While they were still conscious, they clipped the metal collars on, and he felt almost all of his ki leave him in an instant. He blacked out._

_The blood didn't stop._

…

He jerked as Tarble shook his shoulder. He didn't want to remember what happened next. He glared at the younger boy, crossing his arms, but loosening some of the tension in his muscles.

"Sorry, you kind of blanked out there."

"Hn."

For the first few months, he tried to train in their small quarters, not only craving physical activity, but needing the strength to escape one day. But as nights turned colder and food became less, it became dangerous, never knowing when they would pull him out for more tests of other tortures. He'd almost died once when he over-exerted himself and they took him for what he later learned was four hours.

As hours went by, there was yet to be a single sound aside from the dripping of water from the dank ceiling to be heard, and they eventually succumbed to restless sleep, tails curled around one another instinctively.

"Finally."

…

Dr. Briefs stroked his mustache in thought behind his newspaper. It didn't make sense. He'd hired plenty of interesting people before, but for some reason this young man stood out. He wasn't bothered by the facts that he never went to school, he held no form of identification or birth certificate, and he possessed that aura of aloofness. Forks and knives softly banged against plates as his wife and daughter ate.

"Hey, Daddy?" He lowered the article he was reading to look at Bulma, whose blue eyes were wide with curiosity. "Do you think I could go with you to work sometime? I mean, if I'm ever going to run the company, maybe I should see it first hand?"

He winked at her knowingly. He knew she hated school, and that she wasn't really all that interested in business or finance. She had told him so after the first time he took her a few months back. And, while he did agree that she wasn't being pushed hard enough, she did need to learn how to act with people without blowing up like she normally did. Still, what could one day off hurt?

"Sure, dear. How about today? I have a new employee coming in; you can watch me show him the ropes." He held back a snicker at her disappointed face.

"Is it another sleazy business guy? I hate them."

"Oh no, sweetie, he's quite different from most professional workers. I think you'll get along with him just fine." He grabbed his mug and went down to his lab to wrap up the interior touches on an electric motor before going to head quarters. If he knew his daughter, she would take at least half an hour getting ready, so he may as well find something to occupy his time.

Gero was still a potential issue. The man wasn't stupid. He'd probably know what he was up to when he found out about a watchful assistant. He might throw a fit or make some absurd demand in consolation. He'd have to be very careful. Dealing with the lunatic was like walking on eggshells. He couldn't afford one crack.

Eventually, Bulma ran downstairs dressed in designer blue jeans and a comfortable red t-shirt. They drove through the city until they came to the massive building that housed their family business. They were greeted by the receptionist and left for Dr. Briefs' office suite. After ten minutes of watching her father read over paperwork, she grew bored until the door opened to reveal a scrappy looking teen with long spiky black hair tied back, wearing jeans and a white shirt. He seemed to be rather bored as he stepped in and the doctor greeted him.

She stared up at him. He was tall and a bit lanky, but definitely muscular. He also had a bizarre belt, but she tore her gaze when he father addressed her. "Bulma, this is Raditz, my new worker. Raditz, my daughter." The boy nodded slightly in her direction and she continued to study him as the doctor informed him of his daily duties, and who he'd be working directly under. "Bulma, dear?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you do me a favor and run down to the printing room? I need you to grab documents F12 through J6 if it's not too much trouble?" She nodded, happy to be useful as she marched out the door.

His daughter gone, the soft expression left Dr. Briefs' face as he turned to Raditz. The saiyan was momentarily thrown off by his sudden change of mood. "Now, there is something I need you to be able to do, Raditz, and you must not speak to anyone of it but me. Can I trust you to withhold this information to the strictest confidence possible?"

He nodded, being reminded of old war stories that his father told him when a soldier would be trusted by a superior officer. Most of the tales were made up, designed to teach cubs loyalty and honor, but he held them close regardless.

"Good. The man, Dr. Gero, will be your superior on the outside, but I want you to know that he holds no power over you. I've been getting suspicious about him for a while, and I can't keep close enough tabs on him anymore."

"That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

"Exactly. If you see him doing or suggesting anything peculiar, you tell me personally as soon as possible. I'm going to want weekly reports on his activities, but I want you to be discreet about it."

"Of course." He crossed his arms. "What precisely am I looking out for? I'm not very familiar with what you people deem as ethical."

His eyes widened a bit, but remembered he said that he was from another country and let it slide. "Anything involving harming a living creature, even in jest. Anything that would be mentally damaging to someone or something can be classified as unethical. If you're uncertain, talk to me anyways. I'll make the final decisions."

Raditz nodded in understanding as Bulma entered with a thick stack of papers. Since he was overloaded with paper work, Bulma agreed to show Raditz to the lab where Gero worked. As they walked down halls and took flights of stairs, she tried to make small talk with him, frowning when he did not seem as interested. "Wow. You're barrels of fun to talk to."

"Whatever. I never claimed to be much of a conversationalist, so don't nag me."

"Well, don't you just put the 'F, U' in 'fun'?" He huffed as she led the way through a large set of metal doors. 'Little spitfire.' He glanced around, black eyes trailing along the walls covered with blueprints and the oddly messy and clean desk coated with papers. He wandered over to the heavy machinery to his right and looked up at the massive dome like tower that stood above him.

"Oh yeah. Daddy said that's supposed to be some sort of super computer Gero's working on, but if you ask me, it's not very super if it takes up that much space and energy." He had to agree. "Anyways, crazy man hasn't clocked in yet so you have a little time to explore. I think Dad will be introducing you."

About half an hour later, Dr. Briefs came in with a wrinkled old man with long gray hair behind him. He appeared quite angry, glaring at the back of his employer's head. Briefs showed no acknowledgment of this however, as he walked right up to Raditz, and exchanged a meaningful glance with him.

"This is absurd! I never asked for an assistant and I do not want one! Fire him immediately!" he snarled.

"Calm down. I think it's a good idea. Besides, Raditz is such a hard working young man, it's only right to give him some background and help him, correct?" The saiyan in question watched silently as they elderly men exchanged arguments, letting his tail unfurl slightly to twitch behind him.

Gero's counter died in his throat as he stared at his new assistant. He looked away to face his fool of a superior as he consented with a begrudging nod. It took every amount of willpower he possessed not to jump up and down with giddiness.

Giving him a slightly baffled look at his surrender, Dr. Briefs left. Gero looked the boy up and down in a manner that unnerved him. He could see why he needed to be watched. The old creep showed him his on-going projects and what he'd be doing for the day.

When Raditz had completed all of his assigned tasks, Gero dismissed him, waiting until the door shut before he exhaled. "Another of those beautiful creatures, and practically bestowed to me by the gods! This is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. And if he's here, there might be more. I must have him."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Raditz gave his first report to Dr. Briefs before clocking out and flying for Mt. Paozu.

His brother greeted him when he arrived, slamming into his chest, and almost knocking him over in the process. "Hey Kaka-brat, what are you so excited about?" He had a certain fondness for his sibling. He had been terrified that he would die when he hit his head, but he became a new kind of saiyan because of it. One, he found, that wanted to make everyone happy, and was annoying, if not downright clueless. His relationship had always seemed somewhat fragile, though he wasn't sure why. At first, he had ignored him, but the kid grew on him, and he found himself sparring with him, taking him on hikes throughout the range of the wilderness of Mt. Paozu, and even sharing a fresh kill.

As much as he missed Vegeta-sei, as well as his friends from their region, he couldn't say he wasn't content.

…

Desperation.

Raw and unbridled need.

A faint glimpse of hope.

A drowning sense of despair. Drowned with blood.

Tightening. Constricting fear.

Fight back. Move now.

Move.

Cornered. How could it be so?

He opened his eyes.

Tarble screamed.

_A/N: I hope the reason that Tarble and Vegeta are so weak is acceptable. I think it is. I also hope I'm bringing out Gero's crazy insane pedo side. Bulma will come to play bigger roles later. _

_And just in case you interested, I got the idea for the little static blocks in Vegeta's memory from the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, it you're in to that stuff.  
_

_Review please!  
_


	3. Burning

Burning

Bardock frowned in contemplation at Raditz's slumbering form. Everyone else had gone to sleep hours ago, but something was troubling him. It had been years. Years since they had received word from their king, since the progress of their prince had been known. Gohan had taken to teaching him how to sense energy, and while he wasn't very good, there were no higher powers aside from those around him. When he extended his consciousness to feel for his ruler, there was nothing. At first, he had dismissed it, thinking he was simply being blocked for privacy's sake. There was no way that earthlings could harm saiyan royalty. But surely he would have heard something from them by now? He couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and it only intensified with what his eldest son told him of this Gero man.

It was unnerving that he thought of weapons such as what Raditz had stumbled upon in the computer files. With the genius he possessed, Bardock had little doubt that they would eventually come into fruition, if they hadn't already.

Raditz would be with this man almost every day. While he wasn't overly concerned about him being unable to defend himself, there was something else tugging at the back of his mind. He was worried.

Where was the Royal Pack?

Gone.

Bardock took to the sky, the half moon illuminating the vast expanse of nature that stretched for miles, undisturbed. The wind tugged at his unruly hair, beckoning him forward. Perhaps it was time he sought out his king. A storm was brewing.

…

Tarble screamed.

He never remembered moving, but when he awoke, he was not in the dank cell he shared with Vegeta. No, he was in a whole different type of hell.

His brother hung shirtless from shackles, panting, bleeding, and aching. He was a mess. Cuts, bruises, welts, burns – they all marred his flesh. His tail hung limply behind him. His bangs hid his eyes. "Vegeta!" Tarble began screaming and thrashing, trying to get to him. _"Vegeta, please! I'll help! Just look at me!" _He was coated with red madness. The shadows behind him, forged by candle light, were nearly swallowing him. There were eyes in those shadows.

Unknown to him, there were several men in the room. They snickered as they watched the boy struggle, the chains were cutting into his wrists and blood was already running down his arms. "What the hell is he saying?"

"Fuck if I know. They don't speak English or anything. No one knows what they're saying, but they sure make a ruckus."

Vegeta seemed to wake up a bit. His hazy vision cleared slightly as he lifted his head to see his brother. He was crying now. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly with alarm. He saw blood streaming down his arms and gasped, pushing aside his own unbearable pain. _"Tarble, stop! You're hurting yourself! Stop!"_

He did stop. The child was trembling, ashamed. Vegeta was being strong. He could hardly move, but he was worried about him because of his crying and wrists. His firm gaze betraying nothing of his pain. How often had Vegeta been in this condition? He'd lost count. Why was he panicking now? He was jeopardizing their safety by letting them know he was scared. He swallowed, trying to push his fear down as well, trying to be strong too. It was so hard with him hanging like that. He wanted to throw up.

Vegeta loathed seeing him cry. He knew that he tried not to do it often, but it still hurt him when he did. He should be the one to make sure that he never had a reason to shed tears. That he never knew what pain was. He was his older brother, and he was supposed to protect him.

A door slammed somewhere on the other side of the room. It was hard to see with the dim lighting. Vegeta growled despite the pain in his chest. He hated this bastard the most of all of them. He knew. He saw how this creep looked at his brother, and he swore that if he so much as touched him with that look in his eyes, he'd rip his throat out.

It was lust.

Revolting, sickening lust danced in his ice cold eyes every time he laid his gaze upon Tarble. He wanted to do things to him, and somehow, Vegeta knew he was the key to that.

"That was even better than I expected." Gero laughed as he stepped under the lighting. He grinned, stepping towards the youngest. He gripped his chin with weathered fingers, snickering when he heard a growl intensify with volume and malice and when the boy tried to pull away, terror written plain as day. "Nineteen, come here."

The fat white man approached his side, listening carefully to whispered instructions before he went to Vegeta. Gero stepped away from Tarble, never releasing his grip. "Now, I know you two can understand what we say, vaguely at least, so listen carefully." He slammed Tarble's head against the wall, making him wince as his skull collided with cement. "I want you to watch everything that happens to him, and try to help, if you can," he mocked. He couldn't help him. Even if he could break free, and get him away, they would catch him again, and he'd be in more pain.

Vegeta was livid at this point. How dare they touch him? How dare they even look at him! How dare he be helpless to stop it? He felt a tugging at his heart that intensified with every whimper, wince, and flinch Tarble offered. He didn't care what happened to him; he wanted his brother the hell out. His line of sight was clouded with red as Nineteen got closer. He snarled, his teeth seeming longer, sharper, and more animalistic, his tail bristled, and his growl becoming louder by the second. He looked like a feral animal in that moment.

However, the moment passed when the breath was knocked out of him by a knee. His already broken rib dug deeper, causing him to cough blood, leaving it to splat on the floor; and Nineteen's shoes. "Now, now, those are my favorites, pathetic monkey."

A punishing slap.

Tarble's eyes watered with unshed tears as it went on. Vegeta maintained eye contact with him for as much of it as he could, forcing him to look anywhere but his body and the torment it underwent. Soon there were thin streams of salty water running down Tarble's cheeks, but his brother never wavered as his support though steady silence. Small cries would escape him sometimes, but he found he could ignore some of the pain by focusing on Tarble. He resented that he had to see him in such a weak, sorry state. It wasn't right. He was supposed to be stronger than to let them do this. He was supposed to be strong and proud. But, no matter how hard he fought – and he fought like hell – they always got him.

…

…

'_What was it again…? Vegeta said it was called sunlight... I think it was pretty, but it hurt if I looked right at it… I wish I remembered…'_

Vegeta's eyes widened as Tarble's own glazed over. He was gone. The stunning clarity and rusted innocence dulled, almost faded entirely as his body went slack. He was jerked away from him as he realized his skin was burning. He gasped when all feeling suddenly rushed back to him. Without Tarble to distract him, everything was slamming into him full force. He could not help the cry of agony that escaped. Breathless, he stared at the floor below him, watching the already large puddle of crimson liquid grow with each drip. _'Oh, that's my blood…'_

He returned his gaze to Tarble again, just to see Gero remove a syringe from his neck. His pain was elapsed as rage overtook him and he roared with fury and bitter anger.

They touched him again.

They could always touch him.

…

Kakarot laughed as he tossed his clothes off and dove into the shining clear water. It was a good day. Raditz didn't have to go to that 'work' place he hated, his dad was out somewhere, Gohan was hiking, Aunt Fasha and Uncle Tora were sparring while Okran watched, meaning his brother was his for the day.

He forgot about the fish he was chasing, and swam behind a large rock that jutted out of the water. He silently poked his head around, watching as Raditz reclined under the shade of a large tree. He smirked – a habit he'd picked up from his father when he was in a mischievous mood – and clambered up to the top of the boulder. Standing proudly in all of his butt naked saiyan glory, he yelled, "Hey, Raditz is it going to rain?"

The teen's attention shifted, and sank down again when he saw that not only was his brother flaunting his pre-adolescent package under the sun, but that the sky was devoid of any clouds. When he snorted and lay back down, Kakarot held his hands above his head and gathered a small orb of ki before throwing it at the water. A small tsunami roared to life, and Raditz sat back up just in time to see a blurred blue crash into him and soak the river bank.

"Ah! Damn it, kid!" He shook the water off his tail, not bothering with his thick mane. Surprisingly, it almost never got tangled or course with its soft, uplifted and silky texture.

"Come on, Raditz! Let's play a game or something," he whined.

"No way. Not until you put some clothes on."

About three hours or so later, they lay in the middle of a field, sweaty, tired, muddy, but happy nonetheless. Kakarot was still laughing, pulling his brother into a chuckle once in a while. They had chased, tackled, wrestled, nearly drowned, and even tickled since the youngest tugged his boxers and pants back on. Just as boys do.

"Goku," he suddenly said.

"Huh? What's that?"

"Goku – it's what Grandpa Gohan calls me sometimes. He says it suits me."

"Hm…" A serene silence, cracked only by the rustling of the grass as the gentle summer breeze combed it with warm fingers. He stared back up. The sun beat down on them, drying the caked mud on their clothes. There were a few puffy white clouds then, having rolled along as the day stretched on.

"You know something?" He was smiling, yet there was an almost…sad feel about him. "I don't get the clouds, Raditz."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look. On the top, closest to the sun, they're so bright. But, on the bottom, they're all gray and dark. In between, it's somewhere in the middle. I feel like it's supposed to mean something important."

Crossing his arms under his head, Raditz held the puffy white things under more scrutiny than ever before. He scowled, "You know, sometimes I can't tell if you're an insightful genius or just a sentimental idiot."

"Senti-what-al?"

"My point exactly."

With a yawn, he stood, letting his tail stretch behind him as well. Kakarot watched with that special gleam in his eyes. Raditz knew that look. Soon, he was stumbling forward slightly as the weight of his brother pounded into his back before clinging onto his broad shoulders. "Carry me?"

"Why? You've got two perfectly good legs." He made no move to pull him off though.

"Please? You haven't since I was really little!"

"I carried you after our spar two days ago," he pointed out snidely with a scoff.

"That doesn't count! I was way out of it, Raditz! Plus I was starving." With a reluctant sigh, Raditz hoisted the boy into a more comfortable position, Goku tangling his fists and burying his nose into his hair.

Scent was something, one of the only things in fact that he appreciated more than food. His dad and Raditz smelled the best, no matter how sweaty, or dirty, or bloody they were, they always smelled like…like comfort, was the closest thing he could compare it to. They couldn't smell like happiness, because they were prone to get grumpy more often than not, but he just couldn't stop being happy around them himself. He sighed and nuzzled deeper, inhaling as much of his brother as he could, nearly drunk with euphoria. Smelled like cocky teenaged arrogance and smoked oranges – like a big brother should.

Raditz rolled his eyes in minor annoyance before trudging off in search of their dwelling. He was starting to get hungry, and they had skipped lunch. Not five minutes later, loud snores could be heard in his ear as a slight weight went slack.

"What am I going to do with you?"

…

Bardock landed on a large island, ignoring the incredulous stares he received from the skinny villagers. Now, he had to admit, he was stuck. While the island was spacious, only the east side was populated by humans, and not very many at that. The king had come here with his queen when they landed. That was nine years ago. His best bet was to ask around, something he wasn't looking forward to.

So, for the next hour or so, he hopped around from market place to farm in search. Everyone with whom he spoke with was clueless; everyone, except, a strange old woman that lived in a tree.

First, he'd been hit in the head by a strange fruit he believed was called a coconut. Gleeful cackles followed. He drifted upwards through the branches to investigate just to narrowly evade a wild branch that came swinging at him. "What the blazes is wrong with you?"

Wearing outrageous jewelry, a head dress, and slightly off-your-rocker type of grin, she stared, making him feel very…exposed. "You're looking for someone, aren't you, young man? Someone quite important?" She had that old, gravely, tribal type of voice. The one you could never tell if it was wise or downright crazy.

Dumbly, he nodded, years of battle, training, and nerve-steeling experience flying out the window. "Yes. Do you know where I can find this person?"

She chuckled, and plopped down of the fat branch. "Your king, right? Oh yes, I met him a couple o' years ago. Such an abrasive man. But he had the most darling children!" She clasped her hands over her heart and sighed at the memory. Her wrinkled skin bunched up.

"_Children_? You must be thinking of someone else." He decided to ignore the suspicion surrounding the fact that this pink-haired woman knew what he was looking for before he voiced it. Then again, he had a tail too. It may not have been that hard to figure out.

"Oh no. He had spiky hair, and they all had tails. I'm certain this is whom you seek." Now he knew there was something wrong. The king would have presented his second heir to his subjects, few as they were, as soon as the child had mastered the proper skills in academics and fighting. Vegeta had been announced about four months after his birth. It was the shortest amount of time yet in saiyan history.

The point of waiting before being introduced to the kingdom was to not fool saiyans into believing they had a future ruler if he was incapable. Granted, there was no longer a kingdom, but they clung to their ethnic pride.

"Then, there is a second?"

"Why, yes! He was the cutest little boy, and so polite. Oh, but you want to know what happened to them, don't you?" She took her head dress off and shook it out until a crystal ball fell. Bardock thought it was strange that one so old would have bright pink hair. She climbed on her ball saying, "Follow me, dear. Oh, pardon my manners. I am Baba."

"Bardock."

She led him through the thick jungle to a small clearing, protected from heavy rain by the thick canopy above. It didn't really surprise him that they had gone to a forest like this. While he had been the King's advisor, he often heard of their complaints regarding the restraints of their living quarters. There were stacks of books hidden neatly under thick leaves, a dugout under the roots of a large tree, the bottom of which was covered with soft blankets and leaves, an empty fire pit, and old blood. Bardock stepped away and began searching through the campsite. The books were handwritten in Saiya-go, mostly basic history and arithmetic amongst other subjects. Dropping down into the nest, he caught the scents of the King, Queen, Prince, and what must have been the newest addition.

'They haven't been here for a while.' He climbed out and went to examine the blood stained on the grass. Not noticeable for a human, but then, Bardock wasn't. There was an unexpected battle here. They didn't leave because their books and blankets were still in place. But the blood was what bothered him the most.

The Queen.

And from another splatter, just a few feet away…the King.

But what would be strong enough to do this?

A thought occurred to him then. If something had happened to the King and Queen, where were the children?

…

He scratched his beard and he stood to get another cup of coffee. He had to have him, his new assistant. But, he had to find out if there were more first. These aliens, they were gorgeous. Perhaps, it would be simple, just to grab the boy and wait for the others to storm after in search. Nineteen was more than capable, and if he wasn't, well, he had his secret weapon.

He glanced up at the boy. From across the room, he looked defeated, broken, and empty. He was. This one was human. One of those whom he'd purchased at the auctions. He had shoulder-length black hair and pale ice blue eyes. He'd been in the same position as Tarble was, only watching his sister. The comparisons in results were astounding. Of course, he had other plans in mind for him.

He finished his caffeine and walked towards the kid. "I have a very special job for you. Tell me, what is your name?"

He was backed against the wall, whimpering and crying. "Jin," he gasped. Gero's cold hand found its way to his cheek, caressing it venomously.

"Well, Jin, I have an offer for you. In exchange for your sister's freedom, you have to do just one little thing for me." The doctor's hand wandered lower, making him tense and shut his eyes.

"W-what?"

"There is someone I want. You will bring him here."

"Yes, sir."

Gero grinned, sorely tempted to rip the boy's clothes away, but he figured he'd want to know that he was still mentally functional if he was being trusted with _his _beautiful specimen. "Good, now listen carefully to your instructions. The slightest mistake and your sister will suffer the consequences."

…

"Raditz, there you are." Tora stepped out to greet his comrade's son, arms crossed and wearing a wicked smirk. He'd been looking for the kid for a while now. He heard him emerge from the bushes on the backside of Gohan's home, carrying his brother with him.

"What is it, Tora?" Raditz went inside and placed the boy on the bed before turning around to see what his 'uncle' wanted.

"You know where your old man went? I can't find him anywhere."

"You're seriously asking me? I don't know where that coot went." He shrugged and turned to go back inside when he felt a slightly annoyed fist whap the back of his head.

"Old coot, am I?" He rolled his eyes when Raditz rubbed his abused skull and gently squeezed his son's shoulder before shooing him off. "What did you need, Tora?"

"I wanted to ask if there was any news. I know that's what you were looking for, isn't it?"

Raditz went inside to see if Kakarot was awake yet. It was sometimes a little scary to watch him sleep. It reminded him of when he fell off that cliff while chasing some large cat, and nearly died. Those few days had been far more suspenseful than he would have liked. Even with his father's reassurances, he hadn't been sure that he would make it.

For a saiyan, he'd been almost abnormally aggressive as an infant before the accident. He and his father had a hell of a time trying to take care of him. He'd always run off, bite, claw, and be an altogether pain in the ass. Most children, while they loved to fight and _were_ naturally aggressive compared to other species, never attacked members of their pack unless sparing or training.

He heard footsteps just outside, and the window was cracked open just enough for him to clearly hear what they were saying.

"Yes. I found a lead, and I have a hypothesis, but I really hope that I'm wrong. There was an old woman that had met the King, Prince, and Queen on an island south of the coast. Apparently, they had another son as well." Bardock closed his eyes coolly, and leaned against the hut.

"Another? But, wouldn't he have been presented to us then? There's no way it would take him that long to be guaranteed if he's as old as I think he is." Tora mimicked his friend's movements, and watched his profile as he continued.

"I know. That's what had been bothering me. There had to be some reason. This woman, Baba, led me to where they had been living. Though it was old and faded into the grass, I could still smell blood there. Compared to what scents had been in their nest, I think it belonged to the King and Queen. There were no bodies. No obvious signs of a struggle. And, there was no sign of either princes."

"Shit."

"I have a feeling that this Gero that Raditz is working under, may have something to do with it. From what he told me of the man, I have every reason to be distrustful."

"But, what about his employer, Dr. Briefs? Wouldn't he be more likely to be involved?"

"No, I don't think so. He hired Raditz to keep an eye on Gero, and to report if he proposed anything 'unethical.' I trust my son's judgment, and he seems to trust this old man to some degree. While cocky and a brat, he's smart, and he has good intuition." He smirked.

"No doubt from his mother, eh?" He rested a hand on Bardock's shoulder and gave him a pat. His friend had never been the same after his mate died. He became isolated and unresponsive for weeks, nearly starving himself to death until Gohan talked (and whacked) some sense into him with his 'cane fu.' Something he said all elderly people of earth knew.

A flash of grief flew across his impossible dark eyes. He whispered, "No doubt."

He sat down. "So, what now?" He ran a hand through his hair, his mind drawing a blank. Bardock had always been the strategist in their little group.

"Now I see if Dr. Gero does have a link to this, and if he knows where the young Vegeta and his brother are," Raditz said evenly as he opened the window all the way. "I bet I can find something. I bet he's not too secretive once I gain his trust."

Bardock was about to scold him for eavesdropping, but his son made a valid argument. They could get him on the inside. He could retrieve valuable information that they otherwise would never be able to hunt down. "Fine. But, if he really does possess the power to kill the King and Queen, you will leave at the first sign of danger. I know you. You will want to push things too far for some ludicrous reason. If something happens to compromise your safety, we will find another way. Am I perfectly clear, Raditz?"

"Yes, Dad."

He ruffled his hair affectionately. "Good."

_A/N: Aww, Raditz, Bardock, and Goku bonding. Is it just me or should Raditz have lived longer and played a bigger role in DBZ? I mean, he really didn't do anything that bad in comparison to Frieza and Vegeta, plus he was Goku's brother, but he was the only one that Goku was really quick to kill. Just seems unfair to me._


	4. Changing Tides

Changing Tides

Raditz grumbled behind his desk. Was this really what weakling races subjected themselves to? Earning money and wasting away behind a computer screen? No wonder Vegeta-sei had never really put much stock in currency. He remembered faintly that if one was hungry, they would hunt and gather. Nothing was processed or wrapped in plastic, and even the largest city, the capital, had a lush and healthy forest surrounding it. Saiyans didn't do well without the touch of nature for extended periods.

And then there was another thing he disliked about human culture. It was their emotions. Everybody had to know exactly how you felt, and the only way they could possibly know was if you shouted them from the roof-tops with tears running. Gods it ticked him off. Were they so disconnected with one another that they were forced to such humiliating measures?

There was one girl, a secretary, he remembered, that would blush and bid him good morning every single day. He could smell the quickening of her pulse and anticipation. She must have had a…"crush" on him. Whatever that meant. He paid her no mind.

He glanced at the clock and sighed with relief. It was Friday, which meant the weekend off, and some absurd holiday, so that also meant an extra week away from the Kami forsaken city. Just as he punched out and exited the doors, his ears picked up the soft sniffles of crying.

There was a skinny boy wearing nothing more than rags just outside the door. Where were the blasted humans with their child worship now? It was bothering him. "What's eating you, kid?" Damn he was starting to sound like his father.

He stood on shaky legs and whipped tears away. "My sister – they've taken her away. They beat her and touch her…" His voice cracked. "I can't help her. I'm not strong enough!" He looked down. Gero told him to get this man and bring him, and h would do it.

Raditz had been indifferent to the sob story, until he began to imagine a little… Kakarot, hurt like that at all… He bit his lip.

"There are others too… And one of them has a tail, and they do experiments on him! I hate it," Jin cried. He began to shake and fell down, but was caught by a large hand.

"Where are they?" _The prince! Could this be where he's been this whole time? Perhaps the other is there with him?_

"I escaped, but I can show you where the bad people kept me."

"Do so now."

As he followed the child, winding through the bustling city, Raditz probed his father's mind. _"Dad, I think I've found the prince."_

"_What?" _Bardock stopped midair, losing the ki he'd been gathering to knock Tora out. His comrade paused as well.

"_Yeah, this kid was outside the office crying, and then he started talking about some human trafficking and underground cabal. Then he mentioned that one of the kids there had a tail. If we can flush them out, we could probably find both of them."_

"_When you get there, you wait for Tora and I; is that clear?"_

"_Crystal."_

…

He really hated leading him on like he had…truly. But, there was no other way he could think of to save him from despair. Every time he returned he would make sure he said it, that he knew how to get them out. Tarble's eyes would shine slightly with hope. False hope, he knew, but it was something.

Vegeta did not know how to leave.

He did not think they would ever leave until they finally died.

They made sure that they couldn't kill themselves.

Fucking bastards.

There was no other he cared about than Tarble. That's why he would let them kill his younger brother first, to make sure he wasn't stuck in a living hell while he frolicked in the afterlife. Screwed up, but true.

He entertained these thoughts as he was scrubbed down for what must have been the first time in months. The water was frigid, and they were none too gentle, purposely scratching and rubbing his pale skin raw.

He knew what would come next. They only bathed the prisoners if someone high up in the organization was horny. He just hoped that it wasn't Gero. Not that the others were any better. Though, he couldn't remember if he'd ever actually been forced to do…that. It was always scientific experiments. It was always torture. But he'd been drugged up to high heaven so many times, it was unreasonable to think that it hadn't happened while he was too out of it to remember.

The collar would shock him so harshly he would fall limp, almost completely incapable of moving, sometimes up to an hour. His starvation didn't help him much either.

They dried him with stale rags and forced him into some shorts. There were still bloodstains that no number of washings would get rid of. He felt a shudder run down his spine.

Disgusting swine.

The fat white man leashed him, and led him down the dark corridor. Vegeta dragged every step. He took a deep calming breath as they came to a door. _They've done this before. Just bear through it for Tarble; if for no other reason than him. _Nineteen removed the leash and shoved him inside, locking the door.

However, when he was shoved inside, no mental pep talk could have prepared him for the horror that met his gaze. He choked on the air which was thick with the coppery scent of blood. The red was smeared everywhere. The bed, the walls, the floor…and his younger brother lay naked in the middle of it.

His brother.

Tarble, his baby brother.

He was bleeding.

He was bleeding everywhere.

Why wouldn't he stop?

It took all of two seconds for him to piece the story together.

Oh, Kami he'd been raped.

Oh, Kami…

There was a creaking that came from the bed. Vegeta knelt next to Tarble while he watched the figure emerge. Gero too, was unclothed. Vegeta felt fury engulfing him, searing his skin with white hot hatred that fell in the form of furious tears. Then he looked down at Tarble. He stared blankly at the wall, watching his own blood seep down to the floor. His pupils were contracted, giving him an insane look.

He probably was insane now.

"_Tarble, it's me. It's okay now, I'm here." _Vegeta gently shook him to rouse him, growing more frustrated every second. _"Tarble…please."_

"You. Remove your clothes." Gero pointed at him as he stepped closer. He cackled as he stepped closer, his withering bare feet slapping against the concrete floor.

Vegeta watched as he approached. He frowned as he felt Tarble's trembling only intensify. He bit his lip, drawing blood.

"I thought I told you to strip, you stupid brat."

His knuckles whitened with anger as he clenched his fists. Vegeta stood in front of his brother and bowed his head, his bangs hiding his eyes in the shadows. He was practically choking on his rage. He wanted to scream, to thrash, to tear something limb from limb.

"Are you going to do as I ask? Good then. You can start by bending over." He said with a lecherous grin.

His tail lashed behind him like a whip as he growled lowly with hatred. His toes curled with tension. He heard a soft whimper behind him and jerked his head up, staring right into the mad eyes of Gero. He bared his teeth. "NO!"

A stunned silence followed. The scientist stared seemingly in awe at the boy before he began to laugh. "So you do speak. After all these years, the first word to come out of you is one of defiance?" he gasped between chuckles. His expression became cold as he walked to the desk. He pulled his pants on and grabbed something from the top. Vegeta remained between him and Tarble.

"You forget your place," he threatened as he pointed the remote at Vegeta and the collar began to buzz. He felt as though his vein were being ripped from his body. The doctor turned the dial up and blue sparks started to dance around the tailed child. Vegeta clawed at the device and snarled, but refused to collapse.

His eyes were still unfocused when he heard the animalistic sounds of growling and snarling come from his brother. He slowly lifted his gaze from the wall to the source of the azure light within the room, and saw the shadowed outline of his brother's familiar flame of hair. Tarble did not move.

Ever since the torture session he had born witness to, he'd had a whole new level of respect for his brother. He had seen for the first time, just how strong he really was. He still could not move.

He didn't move until he heard a more (for lack of a better word) human cry escape him. Tarble shifted his nearly lifeless stare to Gero. The man who had defiled and raped him. After what seemed like hours his eyes narrowed and he began to crawl towards him undetected. As soon as he was in range he leaped and smacked the remote from his hand with an enraged howl. The gadget cracked upon contact with the ground and the lights stopped. But he wasn't done.

Tarble growled himself and became lost for a moment as he clawed and bit and thrashed to accomplish nothing more than the death of the pedophile.

His rage had finally been unleashed.

…

For once, Raditz listened to his father and waited with the black-haired child around the corner of a dark alley. He'd hushed him at last after promising to break his sister out as well.

Bardock and Tora landed on top of a building and swiftly climbed down the fire escape to remain inconspicuous. Raditz was waiting for them with Jin. "All right, what's going on, Raditz?"

Without missing a beat, he gestured to the human next to him. "This kid claims that these "bad people" have the prince and possibly his brother in captivity. I already checked and there's a locked door at the end of the alley. There are about 200 or so people underground, but I can't tell if any of them are saiyan. He also wants us to rescue his sister, which I've agreed to."

Bardock frowned. Tora and himself would have to find the princes while Raditz searched for the girl, but they couldn't very well leave this kid out here. "What about him?"

His comrade answered. "How 'bout I take him back to Fasha and Gohan, then I catch up with you later?"

He nodded. "Fine but be quick."

When Tora knelt to pick him up, Jin flinched at the contact. Before he started climbing back to the roof, Jin looked back at Raditz. He had been so nice to him… He couldn't just…

"Wait!"

The saiyans paused.

"What is it?" The teenager crossed his arms.

"I need to tell you…but the man said-"

Bardock gestured for Tora to put him down. "What man? What did he say?"

Jin sniffled. "He-he sent me to you. He said he'd hurt Juu more if I didn't bring you here. He said that he wanted more like you and that I was supposed to get you here so that he could keep you. He promised he'd let me and my sister go if I did it." He choked and buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Bardock frowned at the child. He felt, what, pity? No, more like sympathy. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am grateful that you told us this was a trap. Honor is a sign of a good warrior. I promise to assist you and your sibling, but you must tell me who sent you."

"His name's Gero, I think."

Raditz's eyes widened. "I knew it! I knew he was up to something! No wonder Dr. Briefs wanted me to watch him so closely!" An idea came to him. "Wait a second!"

"What is it, son?"

"Humans highly disapprove of violence – especially against children. I say that we give ourselves some more ammunition against this creep." He took out his newly acquired cell phone, courtesy of his employer.

Tora furrowed his brow. "How do you plan to do that?"

"Simple. I'll call my boss, and give him the basic version of the story. He'll call the human law enforcement, and while they're gathering to raid this place, we sneak in, grab the princes and the girl, take care of Gero, and leave him for public humiliation and capital punishment."

"I agree with most of it, but this man has committed horrendous crimes against the Royal House of Vegeta-sei. As such, his punishment should be distributed by saiyans. Not humans."

"Oh, I know that, Dad. I'm just saying that we let the natives think that they served justice. We break him out of their prison and deliver the appropriate consequence. Return his corpse the next day and planet earth breathes a big sigh of relief that another horrible monster is gone."

Tora lifted Jin again. "Where'd you get all of that?"

He shrugged as he began dialing. "Dr. Briefs let me borrow some novels since I don't actually work that much during the day." He held the device to his ear. "It's Raditz…No. I'm not calling about that… Something urgent has come up and you must listen. When I clocked out today I found a boy on the roadside. He said that "bad people" had his sister in captivity and that he had escaped. He claims that there are many other children being held by an underground cabal, and I can only guess that there is human trafficking involved. He says that Gero is one of the leaders."

Bunny stared at her husband with a tiny worried frown as color slowly drained from his face and he set down his evening coffee. "What?"

"He's led me to the entrance of the main base but there's no address. He wants me to rescue his sister."

"My Kami…"

"Dear?" Bunny set the kettle down.

"Raditz, thank you very much for this information. I will call the police. What street are you on?"

He looked down at the rectangular green sign. "Uh, right by the intersection of Spring lane and 2nd street. I need to get home soon, so I'll take Jin with me."

"Who?"

"The kid."

"Thank you Raditz. Expect something in the mail as a reward."

"Good bye, sir."

Tora took off with the child and the father-son duo wasted no time in breaking the lock on the door and charging in. They sneaked along the long winding halls, occasionally taking guards or members of the organization out of commission.

Then they reached the holding cells.

Bardock said that he could feel faint saiyan energies and that he was going after them while Raditz was to find Juu.

It was really one giant room – similar to a warehouse – lined with rows and floors of tiny cells. They all had simple metal bars lining them as doors. Looking further down though, he could see an entire section of totally closed off rooms.

As he walked past, children groped at the bars, speaking to him unintelligibly. His eyes enlarged when one managed to grab his hand, and began to undress himself. He ripped away and ran down the hall until he came to the secluded cells.

He shivered. These little kids – they scared him. And not all of them were that little. He'd seen a couple that were at least as tall as he was, but judging from the excessive blood stains, they wouldn't be around much longer.

This place was a nightmare. That anyone was deranged enough to... It chilled him in a way he almost couldn't comprehend. And the fact that nearly all of them were smiling made it that much worse.

If the King and Queen had been killed and Prince Vegeta and the other taken, why would they have been able to do the same to himself and Kakarot? He was aware now that Gero desired saiyans, and that made the threat all the more real. What if it had been them? What if it had been Kakarot and Okran that laughed like that? He wouldn't be able to take it.

He shook himself out of his little depression spell and faced the first door.

He opened them one by one. They were empty. _Blonde hair and blue eyes… _he thought. He reached the next to last cell and was assaulted with the scents of two saiyans, but no one was inside. _Shit. Who knows where they are now?_

He swiftly told his father telepathically about the cell and opened the last door. Inside was a small girl. Her shoulder-length hair was grimy but not long, showing that she hadn't been kept here for too long. When he entered, she crawled backwards until she reached the corner.

"Where's Jin?" She demanded sternly.

Raditz slowly approached her with his hands up. "Don't worry, he's safe. I sent him with my friend."

She growled. "Safe? You expect me to believe that! You're a liar! You just want me to open my legs like the others, don't you!" She was sobbing now. She looked so fragile to him… She was cracked glass.

He knelt down and ventured to place a hand on her shoulder. She flinched. "I know you're scared, but I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to. Your brother sent me to get you after he escaped. I'm getting you out of here, okay?"

Juu seemed to think this over for a minute before she reluctantly nodded. Raditz scooped her up and began jogging out, careful to avoid more of the children's hands.

By the time he reached the door to the outside, Tora was already waiting for him. As he explained the situation and handed the little girl over, he was sure of only one thing.

_If there is such a thing as hell, _he glanced down the end of the hallway. _It's not as sick as that place._

…

Bardock fire two more stealthy ki blasts and advanced past the now unconscious guards. Sweeping his senses ahead and finding no ki sources, he began running. He had a better grasp on the saiyan energies, and they were fluctuating wildly. He kept moving, going faster as he felt one dropping rapidly.

He turned down the final hall and sprinted to the door. Not bothering with stopping to open it normally, he busted right through. As he crossed the threshold, his face was splattered with blood as a squishing sound reverberated across the room.

The lights were dim and flickering. One boy in bloodied shorts was lying on the ground. The other, who was bleeding profusely and nude, was screaming. His pupils were contracted with rage as he clawed and kicked and punched the old man on the floor. His canines were sharp and gleaming, and just as he looked back to his left, the other boy was getting up. He lunged for the other boy and old man, apparently wanting to murder the creep as well.

Said elder was screaming profanities and cursing the heavens. He finally managed to knock the younger one off but the older held on tighter. His old worn skin had gashed and bruises and he didn't like it one bit. He managed to grab the older child's collar in a moment of sheer dumb luck, and pressed a button on the side.

He immediately flew off of him and began to convulse as painful shocks of his own ki gone rogue fired through him. He grunted and struggled to get up but refused to acknowledge his pain. There was a wild and determined look to his onyx eyes, and in that moment, Bardock knew that this was the King's son. The hair might have tipped him off but it was his eyes. They were full of pain and darkness, but they were ablaze with a bright fire. A true saiyan prince.

Without further hesitation, Bardock lunged for Gero. He pinned him to the wall and held back a glowing fist of ki. "Turn that thing off now before I kill you!"

He began to chuckle. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tarble crawling towards Vegeta, eyeing the new man with suspicion as he pressed the button again and turned the thing off. "It doesn't matter. If you kill me, you won't know how to get it off."

Bardock growled and threw him to the ground, the concrete giving him a slight concussion. "You will rot in hell." He used the bloodied bed sheets to tie him to the ceiling upside-down. With a final punch to the old man's gut, he turned.

It brought the warrior great sorrow to see the princes in such a state. They should be proud strong boys but they were broken and traumatized. He crouched down to pick them up, but his hand was slapped away by who he assumed was the eldest, Vegeta. The child glared at him while catching his breath. He stepped between Bardock and Tarble, despite his weariness.

Bardock thought for a second. He decided that speaking in their native language would help them trust him a bit. _"Prince Vegeta, are you all right?"_

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Had he not dealt with people who masked their emotions in his earlier days, he would have missed the shock. _"Prince? How do you know me? How do you speak our language? Why did you call me prince?"_

"_You do not remember?"_

"_Answer me!"_

Bardock had to turn his attention to the door when he heard heavy and rapid footsteps. It was Tora. "Bardock, we need to get out of here! The human police will be here shortly and we cannot let them take the princes into custody!"

Quickly, he faced Vegeta again. _"You have to listen to me. I'm getting you out of here. I promise to explain everything later but we must go!"_

Vegeta glanced back at his brother. They were both in dire need of medical attention, and this may be his only ticket out. He would just have to risk it. He turned back to Bardock, eyes narrowed. _"Fine. But if I find out you're lying or if you hurt either of us, I will find a way to kill you."_

Not offering him time to think it over any more, He and Tora scooped the brothers up and dashed out the door.

They found Raditz waiting by the fire escape with the blonde girl. Without a word they leapt off of the ground and took to the skies. Looking back, Father and son saw SWAT and police cars swarming the area. They heard gunshots and stomping. Citizens were in a panic, but soon a blue helicopter came into view with the earthling royal insignia, and all went hush.

Bardock looked at the collar that rested on Prince Vegeta's neck. He still didn't know his sibling's name but he wore an identical one. Both boys had passed out after roughly twenty minutes.

The next step was to remove the atrocious devices from them.

_A/N: Raditz has got connections. It will be a long road of recovery, but something tells me a certain blue-haired girl will be more than happy to help. Wink wink._

_I know you guys like it from the stats I get, so why not so many reviews? _

…

_Future VXB anyone? It's still a long way off though. Sigh._


End file.
